National cartoonist Dave Granlund's blog features his take on politics and current events -- in cartoon form

The Scoop Behind Michael Weatherly's Dr. Phil/NCIS Webisodes

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By Dave Granlund

National cartoonist Dave Granlund's blog features his take on politics and current events. Dave has been an editorial cartoonist published in daily newspapers since 1977. Born in Ware, Mass., Granlund began drawing cartoons in grade school and at
...

National cartoonist Dave Granlund's blog features his take on politics and current events. Dave has been an editorial cartoonist published in daily newspapers since 1977. Born in Ware, Mass., Granlund began drawing cartoons in grade school and at age 16, he was published on the editorial pages of local weekly newspapers. His eight-year enlistment in the USAF included assignments with SAC HQ and with Headquarters Command, where his duties included work as head illustrator for the Presidential Inaugural Subcommittee and providing briefing charts for the White House and support for Air Force One. As part of NATO in Operation Looking Glass with the Airborne Command Post, he was awarded the Joint Service Commendation Medal. Dave's newspaper honors include awards from UPI, New England Press Association, International Association of Business Communicators, The Associated Press and Massachusetts Press Association. His work has been nominated numerous times for the Pulitzer Prize. His pastimes and interests include history, wood carving, antique tractors and Swedish language studies.

On NCIS, Tony DiNozzo is always getting his head slapped, but does he need to have it shrunk, too? Michael Weatherly has created a couple of surreal YouTube clips in which the raffish agent is confronted by Dr. Phil at the behest of concerned buddy Jimmy Palmer - based, he says, on "the idea that DiNozzo would get grilled psychologically by someone even more alpha-male than [Mark Harmon's] Gibbs."

Weatherly concedes that taking the hit dramedy's characters into strictly comedic territory "did confuse some" at the network when he proposed the webisodes. "There were definitely some raised eyebrows. But I think that DiNozzo, Jimmy Palmer [Brian Dietzen] and Abby Sciuto [Pauley Perrette] are the tricycle of comedy on the show, so that was an appropriate usage of characters." Sean Murray's McGee also has a cameo.

"CBS allowed me to do this, but it's definitely not sanctioned," says the 007-loving Weatherly. "It's the Never Say Never Again of NCIS."

For Dr. Phil, interacting with fictional characters was a first. "I'm an ardent NCIS fan, so I was totally up on DiNozzo's pathology," he says. "From the problems he has with his dad to all his failed relationships to how he relates to his coworkers, he's a shrink's field day. I've had some real-life Tonys on the show, and they make for great television."

After taping the bits, Dr. Phil says he told the actors he fantasized about being a character on the show who gets shot and dies from his wounds. "Sick, I know!" he says. "Then again, maybe Michael could just slap my character in the head to get even."